Cat flap advice and when to let the cat out for the first time

[Thisismynewname123]

Could someone point me in the direction of the perfect cat flap please! We want one with a timer and microchip.
What age did you first let your cat out? We have a 6 month old Bengal girl was just spayed last week. We had always thought we'd let her out after her operation, but she seems so small that we're worried she's not ready. She has been out (before her op) on a harness and lead in the back garden and front driveway.

Can't help with the cat flap.

The first time you let her out, do it when she's hungry.
Be prepared for panicking after about 20 minutes.

I'd take her out on the harness and let her go.

I’d wait a little longer, 6 months is still too young. Perhaps around 7-9 months .

I allowed my two out at 12 months (she was neutered at 10 months delayed due to covid) and then my other was 9 months. I waited for lighter evenings too.

I felt mine were a bit too daft at 6 months also. May have just been their personality though

We let ours out first time in the rain. They came straight back in after a sniff around.

Microchip cat flaps are great but I'm not keen on timer ones after hearing some urban myths about cats getting their tails caught when they locked closed (no idea if true!).
Definitely only let them out during daylight hours to begin with. Also, it's sometimes easier to set up a microchip cat flap and teach a cat to use it before it's put in the door.
Our SureFlap one is pretty sturdy.

We have the Sureflap connect, it can be controlled via app so we can set a curfew on it if we want. Ours is set to be open (for our cats only) between 5am and 8.30pm. Outside of those hours, they can enter but not exit again. If you have multiple cats and need to keep certain pets in you can do that to, as it works off their microchips.

I've never seen them get anything caught in the flap. If you have other cats nearby like we do then it's a great way to help keep them safe. Can't count how many times one of ours has come running in with a neighbours cat chasing them, they can run into our house for safety and the neighbours cat can't follow them. Before we upgraded the catflap the neighbours cats would come inside.

If your cat is still pint sized and there are other cats nearby then I'd wait a bit before letting it out on its own. It needs to be big enough to defend itself. At that age we just took ours for daily walks on the harness then gradually let them out.

Ours went out for a few minutes at 9 months, gradually increasing to daylight hours. Took a week to get them to use the cat flap. It’s a microchip one but they can’t cope with batteries in it so just works as a manual one. We put a crate in front of it at dusk (after one of them broke it to get out and we got a random tabby in through it at 2am). It’s opened 6am ish. Ours are wimps and stay in most of the time anyway.

Ours were desperate to go out at about 5 months. So we let them supervised for 5 minutes at a time.

Once neutered at 6 months they were still desperate to go. They are daft. A couple of times I've had to coax them down from trees. They are now 7 months and like to spend time outside, especially in the sun. We let them out in the morning. If I haven't seen them in 15/30 minutes I call them back and usually they come. I think the fact they have a buddy gives them confidence. But equally one will go out without the other now.

When I got them I said I wouldn't let them out till spring but they kept trying to escape...they are happier now they are allowed out. They are also less keen to make a break for the front door. But they don't yet have a cat flap so we control when they go.)

Thanks for the replies. I think we'll try to wait another couple of months when the days will warmer.

Is she an only cat? I let my daft boy out at 6 months but his big sisters were good at keeping an eye on him.

We let our Bengal out at 23 weeks. If you let them out when it’s cold the worlds not so exciting.

When it’s warm you can stay out late. It is traditional to panic when they leave the garden. Our vet reckoned Bengal owners are mostly over invested in their cats.

Photo?.

Has anyone successfully made their cat go through a chip catflap (to 'set' it) before it went in the door? Ours were both having none of it - they looked at us with utter disdain at the mere thought of going through a cat flap they could walk around.

Our current cat point blank refused to use a cat flap for the first few weeks of living with us. It was quite a stand off, because she was desperate to go outside, but she couldn't go before we knew she'd use a flap. We have an internal one into the utility, so she had one to practice on. She would go through when it was taped open, but not closed.

After a few weeks, I contacted the rescue place for advice, who told us she'd used a flap perfectly fine there, so we knew we were being had.

My son got a cat flap when his boy was probably 15 months , and yes 'trained' him first

He seemed to take to it really well

@JorisBonson yes, she's an only cat, so nobuilt in protectors for her.

@Fluffycloudland77, we had planned to stsrtkettjmg her out nowbrcause she doesn't like cold and rain, but now the timehas come she still seems too young.

@ReviewingTheSituation we're worried that will happen. We had to take the flap off her litter tray because she refused to go through it.

@Fluffycloudland77, photo as requested!

Awww 🥰. Has she got a favourite person?.

My kitten is crazy, clever and vicious. I haven't let her out yet, was going to wait until Easter but after reading this maybe when it's cold and wet would be better.
She is currently bang on 9 months old.

OP that kitten is beautiful.

@Fluffycloudland77 yes, DH is her favourite person, unfortunately. Although she likes to sleep up against my legs at night (the only real affection I get, so I take it like her slave that I am, even though it means I can't turn over in the night!

@Mumdiva99 yes she is beautiful x

Oh no, I worried if we got a girl it would prefer dh. Our boy was always a mummies boy.

We haven't let ours out yet, they are 8 months now. We're just waiting for the weather to turn slightly and then will gradually do it.

When we've had our door open they've been terrified, so initially we'll let them follow us out before breakfast and hopefully bring them in before they jump the fence. After a few days they should be more confident and I assume they'll disappear for a while. We probably won't use the cat flap initially, just leave back door open.